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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 12, 2004)
©2003 Feld Entertainment Monday, July 12, 2004 THE BATTAl Lynne Cheney differs with husbani on gay marriage amendment UNIVERSITY STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF - SAVE $5 ON TICKETS! By Will Lester THE ASSOCIATED PRESS $W\ k iJ (Excludes Front Row & VIP seats. No double discounts.) <<]g|NGS0F fpjWLY JULY 13 & 14 ■iiii-jREED Arena —L—L II—I I PXAS A&M UNIVERSITY OPENING NIGHT SAVE $5 ON TICKETS! 3:30 PM* r.om How .nd VIP ...I, No dovbl, .Kdumj 7:30 PM - *KIDS UNDER 12 - SAVE $4.00 ON TICKETS! For the fastest and easiest way to order tickets, go to WWW.Ringling.COItl ticketmaster Ticket Centers including Foley's, Arena Box Office or call (979) 268-0414 For Information & Groups call (979) 862-REED TICKET PRICES: $15 - $18 - $23 Limited number of Front Row and VIP seats available. Call for details. (Service charges and handling fees may apply.) Meet the clowns and animals at the Three Ring Adventure* - one hour before showtime. WASHINGTON — Lynne Cheney, the vice president’s wife and mother of a lesbi an, said Sunday that states should have the final say over the legal status of personal relationships. That stand puts her at odds with the vice president on the need for the consti tutional amendment now under debate in the Senate that effectively would ban gay marriage. “I think that the constitutional amend ment discussion will give us an opportu nity to look for ways to discuss ways in which we can keep the authority of the states intact,” Cheney told CNN’s ‘‘Late Edition.” The Senate began debate Friday on an amendment that defines marriage as a union of a man and woman as husband and wife. Supporters acknowledge the proposal is endorsed by only about half the Senate, well short of the two-thirds needed to ap prove a change in the Constitution. Still, a vote would put lawmakers on the spot in an election year as they seek to balance backing traditional marriage and gay rights. The Cheneys’ daughter, Mary, is direc tor of vice presidential operations for the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign. She held a public role as her father’s assistant in the 2000 campaign and helped the GOP recruit gay voters during the 2002 mid term elections. She has been less visible this year while traveling with the vice president or working at campaign headquarters in Arlington, Va. As the election nears, she will play a more public role, campaign aides say. u When Massachusetts’ highcouti last year that gay couples are wed, the issue became a very cal topic. Republicans hope it wi votes away from the Democratic dential ticket. Both Bush and Cheney havevoice(| support this year for the proposed tutional amendment. Their i Be think that the constitutional amendment discussion will give us an opportunity to look for ways to discuss ways in which we can keep the authority of the states intact. ■ Secret melar rivals. Sens. John Kerry of Massacll'‘'j, 1 '' and John Edwards of North Carol® K pose the amendment. The Democrats also oppose gay riage, but defend a gay couple’s the same legal protections as those® ferred in marriage. Asked Sunday about her husband's moticr The ** cademis — Lynne Cheney vice president's wife President Bush said in his weekly radio address Saturday that legalizing gay mar riage would redefine the most fundamental institution of civilization. A constitutional amendment is needed to protect marriage, he said. During the 2000 campaign, vice presiden tial candidate Dick Cheney took the position states should decide legal issues about per sonal relationships and that people should be free to enter relationships of their choosing. lease Univ«. J \&M on gay marriage in 2004, Lynne Cfl an(11) ^ said, ‘T thought that the formulation It f 1 in 2000 was very good. ‘‘First of all, to be clear that peoples: I he free to enter into their relationship I they choose. And, secondly, to receI what’s historically been the situationf when it comes to conferring le| on relationships, that is a matter I states,” she said. Lynne Cheney said the situation in3 somewhat different from the one I ago because of the Massachusettsc(i| ing and its effect on states. Asked again about the difference!] the Democrats and the Bush administ on the amendment, Cheney reafftn preference for local solutions. The vice president’s press officetyj immediate comment Sunday. Critics blast use of school fund to lure Wal-Mart distributor cental THE HUNT IS OVER! Students go online NOW - July 16! - Go to transportonline.tamu.edu. - Give us your top 6 lot choices. - Permit will be charged to SIMS account. -Tell us where to send your permit. It's that easy! NO hunting for spaces! NO gridlock! NO wasting time! NO standing in line! Go to frornspor f o n I i ne. ta m u. ed u TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY Transportation Services FORT WORTH (AP) — Crit ics are questioning the use of the state’s Pennanent School Fund to help lure a massive Wal-Mart distribution center to Baytown. In the deal, the Permanent School Fund will buy a 2 million square foot facility from Wal- Mart for a projected $80 million and lease it back to the retailer for 30 to 40 years, with the rent payments going to the fund. Details of the transaction were obtained through a Texas Public Information Act request filed by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Since the fund is tax-exempt, local cities, counties and school districts can’t collect taxes on the land or the building. And unlike most locally approved tax breaks, Wal-Mart isn’t required to meet investment or job-creation goals. ‘‘Wal-Mart is getting a hell of a good deal,” Judith Hargrove, an Austin lawyer who has success fully represented Travis County appraisers in tax disputes, told the Star-Telegram for its Sunday editions. ‘‘Why would you cut Wal-Mart in on such a huge tax benefit without making them pay a little bit more for it?” Proponents counter that Wal- Mart will still pay $2.3 million a year in local taxes. The site currently generates less than $3,000 in local property taxes. Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson — who also is chair man of the School Lantl Board, which oversees Permanent School Fund real estate deals — said local taxing entities will see a huge increase in tax rev enues from the site, despite the loss of property taxes. “How can you be upset about that?” he asked. The Permanent School Fund was established in 1854 with a $2 million grant from the Texas Leg islature. It has swelled to $18.8 billion and in recent years has contributed $7(X) million to mill ion a year to public duct including buying textboola The fund invested almoiic clusively in stocks < until a legislative dpi 2001 allowed it to expkofe ways to make money, kWc real estate, oil and gas. State Sen. Steve Ogdea Bryan, said the fund’s ecoiffl development policies werelffi “I’m concerned about all! wheeling and dealingthafsj ing on over here, soldowaitj look at it,” Ogden said, 1 obvious question is, do we *1 to be taking local proper!) revenue from local taxingtj ties so we can enhance M manent School Fund?” Under terms of the deal," Mart’s lease payments w roughly $4.8 mi 11 ion a year ft first five years. Every frveyi the payments would increase fixed rate of 10.4 percent athleen five near smbers a NEWS IN BRIEF Senators urge White House to quickly nominate new CIA director WASHINGTON (AP) - A Senate report detailing serious flaws in U.S. intelligence-gathering highlights the urgent need for a permanent CIA director given the current terrorist threat, leaders of the Senate Intelli gence Committee said Sunday. George Tenet, who announced in early June that he was resigning for personal reasons, left the agency on Sunday after seven years as di rector. His deputy, John McLaugh lin, took over as acting director. Tenet’s departure came two days after the committee concluded the CIA provided unfounded assess ments of the threat posed by Iraq that the Bush administration relied on to justify going to war. Take advantage of mortgage rates, experts By Jeannine Aversa THE ASSOCIATED PRESS I iTexas hoc i ate WASHINGTON —Jump in now. That’s the advicefromel to people who are thinking about refinancing a home orbuyip 1 ' Underg in light of the recent drop in mortgage rates. Indies Al Those falling rates are seen as temporary. Forecasters pkarz was rates will again start to slowly climb through next year. interim a “Strike while the iron is hot,” says Greg McBride, a fimwovostfor analyst with Bankrate.com, an online financial service. rent Tli “There is no telling exactly when they might quickly KreectiveA course and move higher,” he said. I"l havet The mortgage company Freddie Mac reported last week that lol e on 30-year and 15-year fixed-rate mortgages fell forthethii in a row and were at their lowest levels since the spring. Rates on one-year adjustable-rate mortgages were at theirlo n ; , , •leagues out this i point since the beginning of June. The declines took experts by surprise. 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